Barr Surname Meaning & Origin
What the Barr last name means, where the surname began and how it spread.
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Meaning and origin of the Barr last name
Meaning of the Barr last name: hilltop. Barr is a Scottish surname from places called Barr in Ayrshire and Renfrewshire, from Gaelic barr, "height, hilltop". In England a separate Barr may come from a word for a barrier or gate. A curious detail: some families with this last name crossed to Antrim and Down in the 1600s, and their descendants later sailed on to Philadelphia.
Arms associated with the Barr name
Scottish heraldry still grants new coats of arms today, and arms associated with the Barr name are described in a blazon that follows the same rules as centuries ago.
Get your full Barr family history
This is only a glimpse of the Barr story. The full Barr history report goes much deeper into where the name began, who carried it and how the family spread, and it comes with a museum-style painted Barr coat of arms. Get the full Barr report.
Barr name FAQ
What does the Barr name mean?
Hilltop. Common variants include Barre, Bar, Barrs.
Where does the Barr surname come from?
It originates in Scotland, and is also found in the United States, Northern Ireland and England.
Is there a Barr coat of arms?
Arms were granted to individuals rather than to everyone with a surname. Herald Lab paints a personalized Barr coat of arms in museum style, based on historic heraldry.
Sources: George F. Black, The Surnames of Scotland (New York Public Library, 1946); Reaney & Wilson, Dictionary of English Surnames; Dictionary of American Family Names (Oxford).